Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Souvlaki GR
GREEK
If you're deferring your Greek island vacation until the euro zone stabilizes, this pocket of
Mykonos makes a great stand-in. Flowers, whitewashed walls, and Mediterranean-blue accents provide a date-
friendly atmosphere. A food-truck stint honed the cooking, perfecting savory chicken and pork ($4.50) skewers,
packed into a moist flatbread pita. On the side, a fresh Greek salad is $7 and hand-cut fries are $4.
116 Stanton St., btw. Ludlow and Essex sts.
212/777-0116.
www.souvlakigr.com
.
Daily 11am-midnight. Subway: F to Delancey St.; J/M/Z to
Essex St.
Tiengarden
VEGETARIAN
A mix of pencil-thin model types and local hard-core vegans frequent this quirky
little storefront for some of the healthiest food around. The Chinese-inspired menu is prepared without dairy,
onion, or garlic, but somehow manages to be packed with flavor. Prices have gone up some, but it's still cheap for
such wholesome offerings—noodle dishes and oversize soups start at $9, and entrees hover around $11.
170 Allen St., btw. Stanton and Rivington sts.
212/388-1364.
www.tiengardener.com
.
Daily noon-10pm. Subway: F to Second Ave.; J/M/Z to
Essex St.
Yonah Schimmel
KNISHES
The knish is a New York classic and can be found everywhere from delis to hot dog
stands, but for the best in gut bombs, you have to go to the Lower East Side. Yonah Schimmel offers up flavors
traditional (potato, mushroom, kasha) and sacrilegious (pizza), cooked with a generations-old recipe. For $3.50,
it's hard to get more filled up. The rich cheese versions are less cost-conscious ($4), but equally delicious.
137 E. Houston St., btw. First and Second aves.
212/477-2858.
www.yonahschimmel.com
. Mon-Thurs 9am-7pm; Fri-Sun 9am-11pm. Sub-
way: F to Second Ave.
4 SoHo/NoLita
Lovely Day
JAPANESE/THAI
This little cafe is as hip as affordable gets, and they've bounced back from a fire.
The menu features creative takes on Thai and Japanese dishes, with noodles coming in at $8.50. A plate of meat
and pineapple fried rice is $8. Red or green curries and pineapple cashew plates are all under $10. The season-
ings are a little on the sweet side, but the fun, bustling room quickly puts a diner in a forgiving mood.
196 Elizabeth St., btw. Prince and Spring sts.
212/925-3310.
Daily 11am-11pm. Subway: 6 to Spring St.
Mooncake
PAN-ASIAN
This family-run shop serves up fresh food with Asian accents. Portions are decent for
such small prices. A pork chop sandwich with mango chutney is $8, as is a steak and pepper hero. For $1.50
more, you can get a salad bowl with lemongrass shrimp and Vietnamese-style vermicelli noodles. The biggest
seller is the healthy miso-glazed salmon, a plate of which is $10.
28 Watts St., near Sixth Ave.
212/219-8888.
www.mooncakefoods.com
. Mon-Sat 11am-11pm. Subway: A/C/E to Canal St. Other locations:
MidtownWest,
263 W. 30th St., btw. Seventh and Eighth aves.
212/268-2888.
Subway: 1/2/3 or A/C/E to Penn Station.
MidtownWest,
359 W.
54th St., btw. Eighth and Ninth aves.
212/262-9888.
Subway: N/Q/R to 57th St.
Paris Sandwich
VIETNAMESE
Fresh baguettes are the innovation here, cooked on-site and then transformed
into hearty Vietnamese heroes ($4-$4.75). Although I prefer the
bánhmì
elsewhere, the grilled pork is spectacular,
caramelly meat sunk deep into the pores of the bread. Cheap fresh-roasted Vietnamese coffee, soups, noodles,
and curries are also for sale.
213 Grand St., btw. Elizabeth and Mott sts.
212/226-3828.
www.parissandwiches.com
. Daily 9am-8pm. Subway: B/D to Grand St.; J/Z to
Bowery. Other location:
Chinatown,
113 Mott St., btw. Hester and Canal sts.
212/226-7221.
Subway: J/N/Q/R/Z/6 to Canal St.; B/D to Grand St.
Peep
THAI
Peep proves that an upscale, modern decor and central location don't require exorbitant prices. Din-
ners are reasonable ($11 Pad Thai and sautéed entrees), though the real deal comes at lunch. For $8 you get an
appetizer and an entree, with a large selection of Thai favorites to pick through. Presentation is as attractive as
the crowd. Though the neighborhood's discovered this place, it's usually not so crowded that you can't get a seat.
Don't miss the seemingly transparent bathrooms.
